Penile prosthetics: characteristics of veteran patients and their spouses

This study examined the characteristics of couples in whom the male partner was experiencing erectile difficulties and seeking treatment by surgical intervention with the penile prosthesis. The purpose was to examine and describe the psychological characteristics of the individual spouses as well as the nature of their relationship. Additional purposes were to develop an ongoing assessment program and establish normative data on this particular population. Twelve couples in whom the men were considered by their physicians as potential candidates for the penile prosthesis were the subjects. The Minnesota Multiphasic Inventory, the Marital Communication Inventory, and the Multi-Modal Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire were administered to husband and wife. The couples' communication scores were lower than expected from established norms. The scores on the Marital Satisfaction Inventory, however, indicate relatively high levels of satisfaction with the marriage overall. A high positive correlation was found between the measures of communication and marital satisfaction. The MMPI data indicate that there is no one profile configuration that is characteristic of either husbands or wives. As a group, neither the husbands nor the wives evidence any signs of psychopathology. A composite description of the couples is presented along with a description of the individual psychological characteristics of the husbands and wives as a group. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for treatment, and recommendations for further research are indicated.